Instep-pad.



No. 879,527. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

M. DORRITY.

INSTBP PAD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19. 1906.

/- m lwaew MATTIE. DORRITY, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

INSTEP-PAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Febals, 1908.

Application filed liiovember 19. 1906. Serial No. 34%.129.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTIE -DORRITY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Instep-P ads, of which the following is a s ecification.

My invention re ates to instep-pads, and its primary object is the production of a pad which is shaped in contour to the natural and normal formation of the sole of the foot so as to sup ort the same and prevent stretching of the ligaments fastened to the bones of the foot, which, when stretched subject a person to excruciating pain extending well up into the leg by reason of the ligamentsconnecting with parts therein and which pain is invariably considered as rheumatic in nature and is so doctored without beneficial results.

It also has for its object to support the ligaments when stretched so as to maintain them in normal position.

Other objects are to so construct my imroved pad, that it may be placed in the shoe iietween its sole and the center of the foot and worn without discomfort; to provide means for conveniently and quickly padding the device when compressedby the continual weight thereon of the wearer; to provide a pad having a slitted cover and one or more I supplemental pads to be inserted within the cover to serve as additional padding for the device when found necessary; and to so shape and construct the supplemental pads when.

more than one is to be used, that they are progressively smaller and may be inserted within the cover of the main pad when compressed so-that the original outline and form may be maintained, and which are tobe used when found necessary before the main pad is com ressed by wear, to raise the instep for co ort, that the pad may be enlarged to meet the requirements of the wearer for ease I and comfort.

pad, and in tapering the pad in cross-section rom said thlckened edge to the opposite side edge; and also in the construction of the same and in-the arrangement, and combination of the several parts thereof to be'hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a central section through a shoe and my improved pad, showing the manner of using the latter. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of my-improved pad. Fig. 3 is a crosssection of the pad taken on line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the supplemental pads to be used in conjunction with the main pad. Fig. 7 is a central section taken on line 77,'Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a cross-section showing the pad built-up or enlarged by use of the supple mental pads. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section taken on line 99, Fig'. 8. j

The numeral 10 designates a shoe showing k the foot 11 of the wearer therein, and between the sole of the shoe and the center of the foot my improved instep-pad 12 is located. This pad comprises a main pad 13 and supplemental pads'14 of smaller size than the main pad.

The main pad consists of a filling 15 of soft material formed to the desired shape and an envelop or cover 16 of leather,

chamois, or other soft material to receive the filling. Said envelop or cover comprises a top 17 and bottom 18 united at the end edges and one side edge by stitching, and having secured between the edges of the other side, a strip of the covering material 19 curved in opposite directions from the center. The filling material is ressed into form or otherwise formed to fil out the envelop so that the top of the pad curves lengthwise from its center to opposite ends and, tapers or In this manner the top of the pad is shaped to the natural outline of the center portion of the bottom of the foot, and I when placed inv position, supports the ligaments of the foot and gives the instep a comely shape. The sides of the pad are curved inward to conform to the outline of the sides of the foot when it contacts with the pad and it is further shaped to the hollow-of the foot by reason of the inner or thickened side of the pad being longer than the outer side, also by curving the ends of the pad outward. In this manner, no part of the pad lies between the foot and the shoe 95 curves 'from the inner side edge to the outer side edge.

where the foot should naturally bear against the sole of the shoe.

The envelop or cover of the pad is slitted, as at 20, to permit thev insertion of one or more supplemental pads, which are designated 14. These supplemental pads may be inserted when first placing the pad in the shoe, but this is rarely found necessary, since the main pad is made of sufficient thickness to meet most all conditions; and

as has been experienced, by raising the ligaments gradually, better results are obtained. After the wearer is accustomed to the pad, and he finds an increased thickness desirable, or when the main pad is compressed by constant wear and the weight of. the wearer, a su plemental pad may be inserted through t 1e slit in the envelop. These sup lemental pads are made progressively sma ler; it being the intention to first insert the larger pad between the filling in the mainpad and the bottom covering. Each of said supplemental pads are preferably formed as shown in Figs. 5 to 7 and have a substantially semi-circular outline, with the thickest portion .of the pad at the straight edge 22, and gradually diminishing in thick- 11638 from a point central along said'edge to all points of the remaining curved edge. When inserting said supplemental pads within the main pad, the thickened edges thereof are placed against or near the side 19 of the envelop or cover of the'main pad, and eonsequently the latter is built'up to retain its original form with increased thickness. If, for example, the pad is first used without the supplemental pads, and it is found that the pad has been compressed, the larger supplemental pad is to be first inserted and the device worn iii this manner, and when the pad so enlarged becomes compressed to a point where additional building-up would result in more comfort, the second or smaller pad may be inserted between the first supple mental pad and the bottom of the envelop or covering of the main pad.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is,

1. As an article of manufacture, a pad for the foot, comprising a cover'having a top and bottom united by stitching at their end edges and at one of their side edges, and having a sidepiece of flexible covering material sewed between the top and bottom at their remaining side edges, said side piece diminishing in width from a point between its ends to theendedges of the cover, and filling material within said cover.

2. As an article of manufacture, a pad for the foot comprising a main pad having a cover consisting of a top and bottom connected at one side edge by a side piece diminishing in width from a point substantially midlength toward opposite ends, said top and bottom being otherwise united at their edges by stitching, filling material Within the cover, and a supplementalpad of smaller size than the main pad and o f,substantially semicircular outline adapted-to be placed within said cover between the same and said filling material.

3. As an article of manufacture, a pad for the foot comprising a main pad having a cover consisting of a top and bottom connected at one side edge by a side piece diminishing in width from a point substantially midlength toward opposite ends, said top and bottom being otherwise united at their edges'by stitching, filling material within the cover, and a plurality of supplemental pads of smaller size than the main pad and of progressively smaller size with respect to each other adapted to be inserted within said cover between the-same and the filling of the main pad.

4. As an article of manufacture, a pad for the foot comprising a main pad having a cover consisting of a top and bottom con- 'nected at one side edge. by a side piece di- .pad having a thickened portion along its straight edge gradually diminishing toward opposite ends and tapering from the center of said straight edge toward all points of the remaining curved edge.

In testimony whereof, I have afiiXe'd my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. V

i MATTIE DORRITY. Witnesses:

EMIL NEUHART, CHRIST FEIN E. 

